Many hobbyist stores participate in pre-release tournaments before a new set releases, giving players a chance to get hold of some cards to play with early. With energy provided by tournament organisers, the packs contain enough to get you going with a deck to compete with, similar to a booster draft tournament.

They’re already kicking off near you, so get going if you want to get hands on up to two weeks early from the 2nd February full release for the Ultra Prism expansion set!

What’s in the new Prerelease box?
• Each Prerelease box contains a 23-card Evolution pack that includes an exclusive foil promo card, plus four booster packs from the Sun & Moon—Ultra Prism expansion. Players use these cards, along with basic Energy (provided by the Tournament Organizer), to build a 40-card deck and compete against other players.
• The Evolution pack is a starting point for players to build their decks. It contains Pokémon of a few different types, along with some of their Evolutions. A handful of Trainer cards are included as well, along with 1 of 4 exclusive foil promo cards. Players can use as many of these cards as they like when building their deck.

Trainer tips!
• Open your four booster packs and see what cards you get. You could find a Pokémon-GX or other powerful cards to add to your deck—just remember that some Pokémon-GX are Evolution Pokémon, so you will need their earlier stages to play them.
• Try to focus on a few Evolution chains to build your deck around. Usually it’s a good idea to play as many copies of your chosen Basic Pokémon and its Evolutions as you can.
• Include a variety of Trainer cards—these are important for gaining an advantage over your opponent.
• Energy cards are crucial for powering up your Pokémon, so make sure you leave room for around 15–20 in your deck. Try to stick to two or three Energy types, or you may not be able to find the ones you need during battle.
• In Sun & Moon—Ultra Prism, you may find some cards that get sent to the Lost Zone. Cards that go to the Lost Zone are unavailable for the rest of the game and cannot be brought back. It’s a good idea to put your Lost Zone cards above your Prize cards, so it is obvious that they aren’t in play.